Hearts on Fire Blog Hop

Welcome.  This is my first Hop of the year and I'm so happy to be part of it.  Carol ( justletmequilt ) has, as usual, come up with a great idea for the group and we're running with it.  The guidelines were pretty simple  something with a heart that isn't Red.

When I signed up I went searching on line for a design idea. I found this on Clipart and instantly knew that was the design I wanted to use.

Next up was the what.  Preferably not a mug rug or pin cushion, my usual go to items when I don't have a plan.

While pulling apart my house for the holidays I came across a mini quilt holder that I haven't used in years and thought it would be a perfect showcase for this piece.

Then I set to work.  Several years ago I spent the month of August doing a block a day of raw edge applique and loved it.  Well you know how "they" say that to do any free motion work you need to practice, practice, practice. Taking a 2 maybe 3 year break in using a skill is not good.

The first issue I had was that I am using a different machine now than back then. This one is more computer driven.  I could not figure out how to drop the feed dogs.  I massaged the entire machine for 10 minutes hoping to find the button.  Then I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to read and find info on the machines on screen computer manual.  Seriously in total it took me 30 minutes to drop them only to discover I had pretty much lost the skill. 

I will admit that as poorly as my stitching was I really loved the finished piece.  It didn't work well in the mini quilt holder so I found it a spot on my sewing room wall.

 I am not a quitter.  I wanted to use this pattern for this hop. Ta da.  I came up with another goal and switched up and did the stitching by hand . I'm out of practice at this too but I'm happy with the end result.

Again, what to do with it.  I exchange hand made gifts with several friends for Christmas.  One of the  gifts I received this year was this great dish drying mat. 

She included this with the pad just in case I wanted to try it on my own.  Yeah we've been friends for a long, long time and she knows me well.

This is a wonderful concept.  I have a store bought one of these that I have used for several years but it was just boring black.  It did it's job and that was really all that was required and when not in use it was in a drawer.  

My new one consists of 2 layers made from a jelly roll with a piece of foam in between. You can use a solid piece of fabric or a pieced block.  Just know it will get wet and will more than likely need to go through the washer occasionally. The best part of making it is that you can make it any size or shape that you want depending on the space you have available.

Using this idea and my heart design and some of  the Pellon foam I had in the closet I came up with this drying mat.

Well that sums up my contribution to this fun hop.  Here is the entire list of participants. Please take some time and visit them all you will be so glad that you did.

January 18

Creatin' in the Sticks

Life in the Scrapatch

Freckled Fox Quiltery

All Thingz Sewn

Den Syende Himmel

That Fabric Feeling

 January 19

MooseStashQuilting

Websterquilt

Words & Stitches

Vroomans Quilts

Quilt Schmilt

Cynthia's Creating Ark

Songbird Designs

 January 20

Selina Quilts

Stitchin At Home

Samelia's Mum

Just Sew Quilter

Scrapdash

Karrin’s Crazy World

The Darling Dogwood

 January 21

Quilt Fabrication

Ms P Designs USA

Beaquilter

Becky’s Adventures in Quilting and Travel

Ridge Top Quilt

For The Love Of Geese

Sew Many Yarns

Quilting Gail

January 22

Just Let Me Quilt

Karen's Korner

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Quilt In A Not-Shell

Storied Quilts

Kathy's Kwilts and More

Homespun Hannah's Blog

2021 - 1

 Happy New Year

One of my top 3 resolutions for this year is to post a lot more often here on my blog to keep track of what it is I'm doing in my quilting (crafting) life. Another of the resolutions was to finish some of the UFO's I have putting aside in "The Box",  maybe not all but hopefully many.  

So lets begin.  I did take a baggy out of "The Box New Years Eve starting the new year on the right foot. 

 I did intentionally take a very small project so I could have a great feeling of accomplishment. These are mug rugs I started maybe 2 years ago for a demo I did for my guild.

Ya Hoo, 1 down and about 18 or so to go

I have also started another project.  It started as a Leader/Ender project solely to use the triangles I keep acquiring while making masks.  

from triangle to 3 1/2 inch unfinished squares

They will be used in making the REMAINDERS quilt using the pattern from Amanda Jean Nyberg's book NO SCRAP LEFT BEHIND. I did make a quilt using this pattern a couple of years ago and just loved it.

I have also pulled my fabrics for the upcoming hop  Hearts on Fire  see that button up there on the right.  The requirements for this hop are to include some kind of heart and it can't be RED.   I realize that one of the choices in the picture looks red but it is in actuality a really great orange. Trust me on that.

Retirement has given me great opportunity to belong to several organizations that do a lot of charitable/fund raising crafting throughout the year. This year I want to keep track of how much of this type of thing I am doing. So every non hop post will end with a list of the regularly made items that I have done and turned in since the previous post. The list will include the following:

I do a lot with Operation Shoe Box, an organization that sends goodie boxes to our troops. I work with  3-4 different groups within the organization.  I make macramé bracelets that are included in the boxes. I print note cards with Patriotic themes that others hand write notes in for each box that goes out the door.

I work with their fund raiser group who make goodies to sell to raise money for shipping these boxes out. For them I make masks, zip pouches, key fobs etc.  Anything small that will tempt someone to donate to the cause. 

Another group is Abundance of Love who make yarn items for Hospital patients, hats, scarves, and items to sell for shipping costs. I crochet hats.

And then there is my Quilt guild chapter.  As a group we do preemie quilts for one of the large Orlando Hospitals.  We make these tiny, 11 or 17 inch squares, that are very lightly quilted themed quilts for Easter, 4th of July, Halloween and Christmas. The hospital schedules first photos for these occasions for these little ones. Our quilts are wonderful backdrops and memories for their first holiday photos. We also make dog/cat beds for the local animal shelter.

Throughout the year TQPM sends out requests for small shelter quilts for shelters in need.  Usually because they are covering for areas with major natural disasters such as fires and floods. More information can be found on this project at the link.

January 1 through January 5

• bracelets                 30
• masks                     16
• zip bags                    2
• key fob                     0
• print cards              24 
• crochet hats              0
• preemie quilts           0
• small kennel quilts   0
• dog beds                   0       

Well I think I am off to a positive start on my resolutions for 2021.  Hope that it continues for a few more months at least.  Hope to see you in a couple of weeks at the Hearts on Fire hop.  I post on January 20.

Stay safe, stay healthy.